Networking and job hunting have come a long way in the last 20 years. New researchtools and the immediacy of theInternet bring job seekers directly in contact with companies and employers, allowing us to build networksthat our counterparts of the past would only envy.

LinkedIn continues to be the most direct and powerful online tool, one that’s certainly worth the energy if you’re job hunting. But be sure you don’t make one of the mostcommonLinkedIn mistakes: being passive about your search.

Setting up a profile and adding connections is a good start—but it’s just the beginning. To get the most benefit fromLinkedIn, you have to become a proactive user, reaching out to others, participating in the community, and continuously working to build your network.

One of the most frustrating aspects of job hunting is believing you’re doing everything you can and still finding yourself out of work. That’s why it’s empowering to realize you haven’t tried everything, and that new, assertive approaches will help you expand your network and land a job.